Western cyclone., 1887-05-19
Won by Paper.

liant. ''we had a great boom in St.
Louis in those times, which continued
until the banks broke, which reminds
me of another queer story that only
old Sam Lover could tell as it deserves
10 be told.
After all the trouble about the banks
there were thousands and thousands
of dollars worth of worthless currency
afloat in the country-just about as
confederate money was after the war
There was a ST. Louis firm which
bought up great amount OF this
money and used it for advertising pur-
poses, and | believe they prepared
some themselves, SO that $1,000 bills
were as cheap as paper and printers
ink could make them.
There was working for this firm one
Con Godfrey, whose family are still
most respectable people in this city,
some of them living in North St. Louis
and some out near Baden. Con was q
rollicking y9ung Irishman who had
come to America to seek his fortune.
Before be had left the old country he
had been very much in love with an
Irish lass whose parents were well oil,
and who sent Con to the right-abOut
when he asked for their daughters
hand.
Con had saved up $1,000 or 81, 500
after five years of nard work, and be
concluded to go home on visit, His
EMPLOYERS asked him to take along
with him some of the firms advertise
ments, which were stamped on the
bank notes, and distribute them on the
way, and Con agreed.
A box full Of the money was made.
which Con forgot all about till he got
home to RoscOnmOn, and then brill
| liant idea seized him. He took out 3
bic bundle of the notes, erased the adj
vertisement, which was only small
red stamp on the back, aud putting his
| genuine money on the inside Of the
| formidable ROLL went off to church, As
| the best place to see who was living
and who was dead. When the plate
was passed around, Con dropped in
guinea with a flourish, scoring point
number one in his game with fate. OF
course such donation made q sensa-
ton, and after church the rumor
spread that Con Godfrey had come
home from America millionaire.
The next day he took all the boys to
the public and insisted on paying for
the whole evenings entertainment,
displaying at the same time roll of
money which gave weight to all the
stories which were afoat about the
Yankee Cr9sus.
1t was only day until Con was in
vited to take a dinner In state at the
| L s 20. in hof
| neighbOrhOOd, and there he met all the
local grandees, including his sweet
hearts father, the parish priest and
his curate, and in fact everybody who
was anybody in that section.
The talk was all about America and
the fortunes that were made there, and
the whole arty were at once charmed
and aggravated at Cons modesty, for
he could not be induced to crafty
their curiosity in spite of the most
pointed questiOnings, but only con.
tented himself with protesting salts.
faction with his luck, and disclaiming
the story that he had made any great
amount Of money.
At last the priest, who took as keen
an interest in the matter as anybody,
said that he had always been curious
to see some American money, and
asked Con if he had any with him.
Con produced a pocketfull, and the
eyes of the company were as big as the
roll when they saw the size of it. The
money was examined and criticised,
and the curate was asked to cipher out
how much it would amount to in En-
glish gold. After much figuring it was